The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) in Toronto has just unveiled a new exhibit called Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana. The exhibit is brought to life with extensive use of wide-format printing, produced by Larry Chan's team at Beyond Digital Imaging.

Using HP's latex ink technology, more than 100 print panels covering 10,000 square feet was produced, the largest being more than 100 feet long. Visitors are meant to feel like they have been transported into a prehistoric world no matter where they look. The exhibit also features augmented reality and other interactive highlights, including reactive walls and body-scanning technologies

“Choosing the right materials is essential for any job we consider,” said Larry Chan, owner, Beyond Digital Imaging. “When considering the needs of this busy and high-impact exhibit, we knew HP’s Latex Printing Technology was the best choice for three main reasons: quality, durability and environmental sustainability.”

Among the challenges for this production:- Limited timeline to print and install the graphics,- Huge file sizes (up to 10 gigabytes for a wall 16 feet high by 130 feet long), and- Strong emphasis on using a wide colour spectrum.

“The success of Ultimate Dinosaurs: Giants from Gondwana depended on creating a captivating lost world for our visitors that would entertain and educate people of all ages,” said Dave Hollands, Head of Design, Royal Ontario Museum. “Working with Beyond Digital Imaging and their use of HP Latex Printing Technology was an easy choice for us as we knew they could deliver astonishing graphics that were durable and faithfully showcase our enormous, scientifically accurate, mural art.”

Kodak's goal to raise funds through the sale of its patents hit a setback this week as the U.S. International Trade Commission upheld a decision from May that Apple and RIM do not infringe on Kodak's so-called '218 patent.

The patent, which covers how digital cameras preview images, is one of Kodak's key pieces in its patent portfolio. The company is hoping to recover upwards of US$1 billion through its sale. Kodak announced it plans an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C.

The company announced at the start of July that it has received permission from the Bankruptcy Court to auction its Digital Capture and Kodak Imaging Systems and Services patent portfolios. The motion was contested by Apple, which claimed ownership interests in a small number of the 1,100 patents in question.

The patent auction is expected to go ahead in August. Kodak entered bankruptcy protection in January of this year.

The Printing House Ltd., headquartered in Toronto, recently celebrated the one-millionth order made through its TPHDirect processing system, which accesses a network of 70 printing locations across Canada.

"It is a monumental occasion for a celebration,” said Marc Petitpas, Vice President of Marketing at The Printing House (TPH). “We are so appreciative of all our customers for making TPHDirect the success that it's become.”

TPHDirect allows customers to place orders for a number of printing applications, ranging from photo-books and large-format work to more traditional short-run toner and offset production. In determining its millionth online order, TPH counted the number of times customers uploaded a job request to TPHDirect, which has a dedicated landing page at tphdirect.ca.

As part of the celebrations, the company presented an Apple iPad2 to Leanne Henshall, who placed the millionth order from Standard Life Centre located within the financial district of downtown Toronto.

“We do a lot of marketing for various companies that come through, and it's our job to set up the meetings, and have all the presentations ready for them; that's where TPH comes in,” explained Henshall, while celebrating with the staff of her local TPH branch, including General Manager, Tammy Neil. “The staff here is awesome. Literally, we get a response straight away when it's ready, or if there's a problem they give us a call straight away. Turnaround is amazing – a couple of minutes and its upstairs."

Marvin Foy, a long-time leader in Greater Toronto’s printing community and founder of MFM Design & Print, passed away last week at age 75.

Based in Richmond Hill, MFM Design & Print was established in 1984 and became one of the region’s first printing operations to place a significant emphasis on also providing marketing services for clients. Today, MFM Design & Print is described as a multidisciplinary company providing not only creative strategy and printing, but also applications for online communications.

Foy’s son, Chris Foy, and daughter in law, Donna Foy, continue to work within the operation as Director of Business Development and Marketing & Administration, respectively. His son Martin is currently President of MFM.

According to his obituary, Marvin Foy was an avid jazz drummer in his youth and enjoyed playing the guitar in his retirement years. He had a passion for sports such as golf and hockey, and was a Junior A/Junior B coach in his younger years. He was involved with various charitable organizations, primarily the Prostate Cancer Society and was a lifelong member of the Knights of Columbus.

Printed publications in Canada were dealt another blow this month as two major publishers have decided to cease printed editions, opting to go for an online-only model.

Trader Corporation, formerly owned by Yellow Media Inc., has announced it will no longer produce print editions of three properties starting this month. These publications include Auto Trader, Truck Trader, Bike, Boat & RV Trader, with editions across Canada.

Trader Corp. will continue to print 27 titles across Canada, ranging from Heavy Truck & Equipment Trader to autoHEBDO in Quebec. The Globe and Mail has called the axing of print a "victim of digital shift." The company was sold by Yellow Media in March 2011 for $745 million to a global private equity firm.

IT World Canada also announced it will be going online only with its trade publications. CDN, Computerworld, CIO Canada, and Direction Informatique. "Print just can't come up with the kind of solid proof of audience reach that online can provide," Fawn Annan, President and Group Publisher of ITWC, told the CBC.

The CBC story also attributes part of the decline in print magazines in Canada to the end of the Publication Assistance Program in 2010, which subsidized part of the mailing costs of many Canadian periodicals.

Burnishine Products of Lake Villa, Illinois, is celebrating 125 years of supplying chemical products to the printing industry. The company explains its brand was first seen in 1887 when the J. C. Paul Company introduced a metal polish.

The company then introduced Universal Putz Pomade, which was designed for polishing hot metal in boiler plants. Printers used Putz Pomade, which remains as one of Burnishine's best-selling products, to clean copper plates. Magazine publishers used it to clean rotogravure cylinders and linotype molds.

“For 125 years, the Burnishine name has meant quality and consistency in the pressroom,” said Roger Giza, President of Burnishine Products, during a late-June event to mark the milestone.

Since 1887, Burnishine Products has manufactured a range of pressroom and related chemical products, including plate chemicals, blanket and roller cleaners, fountain solutions, and a line of related cleaning products. All Burnishine products are manufactured in the United States.

TC Transcontinental Printing’s plants in Pointe-aux-Trembles, Quebec, and Vaughan, Ontario, have helped La Presse and The Globe and Mail (Metro Edition), respectively, become members of the International Newspaper Color Quality Club.

More than 192 titles from around the globe vied for membership in the International Newspaper Color Quality Club (INCQC), which marks the second-highest number of entrants since the printing-quality competition was introduced by WAN-IFRA in 1994. The competition is held every two years to recognize world-class newspapers, based largely on the reproduction of colour images and advertisements through the ISO 12647 print standard.

Eighty-one publishing and printing companies from 29 countries achieved success in this year’s competition and will remain a part of INCQC until 2014. La Presse, printed by Transcontinental Metropolitan, and The Globe and Mail Metro Edition (Toronto), printed by Transcontinental Vaughan, are the only two Canadian members of the prestigious group.

“This not only provides confirmation of the successful efforts aimed at achieving international standardization supported by WAN-IFRA, but also the motivation of personnel working in every printing plant, the correct choice of materials, impressive knowledge of printing techniques, and the skillful use of measuring and control,” said Manfred Werfel, Interim CEO and Executive Director of Competence Centre Newspaper Production at the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA).

Germany now holds the highest number of INCQC members with 24, followed by Switzerland with 10, while the United States has just one member in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Beyond the countries mentioned above, the remaining INCQC members are based in:

Léo Thibault, Founder of Unigraph International and one of Canada’s printing pioneers, passed away at his home in Montreal on June 23 after a battle with cancer. He was 77.

Unigraph International has a long and storied history in Canada’s printing industry, beginning with Wilbert Thibault, Léo's father, who founded Commercial Litho Plate Graining in 1933. Léo joined the company in 1951, just as it was beginning to drive the use of metal printing plates in the industry. Together Léo and Wilbert grew the company, eventually expanding internationally in more than 25 countries.

In 1982, Léo founded Unigraph International and soon brought his sons, John and Mike, into the company. Léo’s wife, Ann Louise, was also a key figure in the company. Again, two generations of Thibault’s would work together to help drive significant transformation in the printing industry.

“There is no doubt our father was a pioneer in the North American market with the elimination of alcohol in the pressroom – Unigraph played a big, big part in that.” says Mike Thibault, Technical Vice-President. “We weren’t the only ones, but we certainly were a major force back in the day when it was really unheard of.”

John Thibault, President of Unigraph, continues to explain, “It was a time when printers used 15 to 25 percent alcohol due to the press conditions, as well as more challenging jobs to print. It was clearly the way to go for the health of press operators and for the environment, as well. He kept at it through perseverance.”

Mike Thibault remembers his father and the company taking a lot of knocks through this period, but his father remained undeterred. “To his tribute, the tenacity is definitely a big part of why 30 years later we are pretty much the premier manufacturer [in this space], at least in Canada, and now we are making inroads into the U.S.”

John and Mike Thibault have been running Unigraph for the past six or seven years, continues to build the company through their father’s business approach. “It basically always comes back to helping the printer,” says John. “It was always to be there for the printer, to help them increase production and reduce costs.”

“The craftsmen model of share your knowledge was really near and dear to his heart,” says Mike, recalling how his father would regularly sit down with different manufacturers to better understand the technological directions of the industry.

“He was always keen on keeping up with what was happening in the industry,” says Al Kershaw, owner and Founder of The Print Wizard, who first met Léo Thibault in 1986 at a graphic arts show in Montreal. “They did a lot of R&D and worked quite a bit with the Rochester Institute of Technology. He was definitely a pioneer with running alcohol-free. His product turned out to be one of the best.”

During the Print World trade show in 2010, with Unigraph recognized as one of North America's largest manufacturers of chemistry for the graphic arts industry, Léo Thibault fell ill and was rushed to hospital. He was immediately operated on at Western General Hospital for a cancerous brain tumor and remained in poor health until his June passing.

Visitation to celebrate Léo Thibault's life will be held at Collins Clarke MacGillivray White Funeral Home in Saint-Lambert, Quebec, on Friday from 2:00 to 5:00 pm and on Saturday morning from 9:00 to 10:30 am. Church services are being held on June 30 at the St. Lambert Roman Catholic Church.

The Canadian printing industry lost one of its most-storied leaders on June 22, as 92-year-old Lyman Henderson passed away at his Toronto residence after a brief illness.

Henderson is best known as one of the builders of Davis+Henderson Limited, a Toronto-based printing firm serving the financial market, where he served as President and Chairman, before retiring more than 25 years ago. Shortly after his retirement, the company named Henderson as its Honorary Chairman.

While he retired from running a printing company, Henderson was only just beginning to impact Canada’s printing and business communities. He continued to flourish as a professional writer, speaker, seminar leader and consultant. During his entire career, it is estimated that Henderson gave well over 1,500 speeches, wrote some 150 magazine articles, authored and published 13 books and booklets, conducted over 100 seminars and consulted with some 50 organizations.

He is author of The Ten Lost Commandments of Fund Raising, published in English and French (over 15 re-printings), as well as Sam, Sam, the Printer's Man, How to Make a Business Plan that Works, The Pricing Game, Prescription, Hands-On Marketing for the Printer, and six travel booklets. Up until his passing, Henderson continued to publish articles through his own blog, Bedtime Stories for Adults, which remains active for viewing. His last blog entry, entitled Me and My Computer, was written two days before his passing.

Henderson won numerous awards inside and outside of the printing industry, including the Education Leadership Award presented by the National Association of Printers and Lithographers (NAPL), which also inducted him into the organization’s prestigious Soderstrom Society. "Lyman has been a champion of the education interests of our industry for more than 50 years," said Gregg Van Wert, who presented Henderson with the NAPL Leadership Award.

He worked with the NAPL for 15 years, while also serving as past president of the Canadian Litho Club and the Canadian Printing Industries Association.

Henderson was named as a Member of the Order of Canada on May 4, 1995, for his contributions to both Canadian business and culture. Henderson and and his wife, Anne Buchanan, were avid volunteers of organizations like National Ballet of Canada, Ballet Jorgen, Arts & Letters Club, Council for Business & The Arts in Canada, McMichael Canadian Art Collection, as well as the Canadian Cancer Society. The Henderson’s accumulated over 350 works of art and visited some 42 countries during their 67-year marriage.

Henderson also served overseas in World War II, from 1942 to 1946, in the Royal Canadian Artillery as a Captain.

The family will receive friends at the Humphrey Funeral Home in Toronto from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 19th. A Service of Thanksgiving will be held in the Cornerstone Community Church in Kleinburg, where Henderson was an Elder Emeritus in, on July 20.

Toronto became the first major Canadian city to pass law banning retailers from offering plastic bags, following what has been described as a surprise vote during the city council’s June 6 sitting.

The city council also passed a law to scrap Toronto’s 5¢ bag fee, which has been actively debated for several weeks. The decision to outright ban the plastic bag, according to various news reports, has not been debated or studied by the city of Toronto. It was never on the council’s agenda, as opposed to the 5¢ bag fee, which Toronto’s Mayor, Rob Ford, has been pushing to scrap.

While many environmental groups supported the plastic-bag ban, Mayor Ford, who helped run a printing and packaging company before his appointment, is in clear opposition to the ban.

Speaking with AM640, a local Toronto station, on the morning after the ban, Mayor Ford said: “It’s the dumbest thing council has done and council has done some dumb things.”

Toronto City Council voted 27 to 17 to make the plastic-bag ban effective on January 1, 2013, while Rob Ford’s proposal to eliminate the 5¢ bag fee on July 1 passed 23 to 21.

Paul Prince, who contributed 56 years of his life to the Canadian printing industry, including the founding of Aulward Graphics, passed away on June 5 in his 75th year after a short battle with cancer.

Fresh out of high school in 1953, Prince began his printing career at the Picton Times. He then worked for the Trentonian newspaper and Gananoque Reporter before moving to Toronto to become part of The Globe and Mail's mammoth printing department.

In 1967, well before adopting the name Aulward Graphics, Prince started a small printing operation in Grimsby, Ontario, called Inteprint, which grew under Prince’s business pillars of craftsmanship, innovation, entrepreneurial spirit and community service.

In 1984, he purchased Reiger Litho of Hamilton and merged it with Inteprint. The new operation was called Reiger Press, which was soon renamed as Aulward Graphics, based on his name: The last three letters of "Paul" and the last four letters of his middle name "Edward" combine to make Aulward.

The company, which won an Outstanding Small Business Award from the Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce in 2010, is now based in Hamilton and run by Paul’s son, Blaine Prince.

Both Paul and Blaine have been long-time contributors to their community, including their annual appearances at the Marshville Fair, and to the printing community, primarily through the Mackenzie Printery Museum in Niagara Falls. The elder Prince served as a Mackenzie Printery board member.

On Sunday, June 24, between 1pm and 5pm, family and friends are invited to celebrate Prince’s life during an open house memorial gathering at the Grimsby Peach King Centre. A private ceremony will be held at Stonehouse-Whitcomb Funeral Home in Grimsby.

Transcontinental announced today it has recently renewed key six contracts worth $1.5 billion in revenues with major Canadian retail customers.

Some of these contracts were from the transaction it had with Quad Graphics, which closed on March 1, 2012. These deals not only include printing and flyer distribution, but also the use of Transcontinental's new digital marketing services such as e-flyers, email marketing and mobile marketing. The contracts range from three to six years.

"[The renewals] are a testament to the strength of our customer relationships and the confidence they have in our ability to execute their integrated marketing communication programs, the quality of our state-of-the-art national printing platform and of our flyer distribution network, the reach of our national media properties and the success of our strategy to expand our product and service offering into new marketing and communication services," said François Olivier, President and Chief Executive Officer.

Describing its drupa results as a reflection of a leadership position in the sector, Goss International signed 11 orders for new web offset presses during the recent two-week German tradeshow.

“We accomplished what we set out to do at drupa, which was to introduce our customers to innovative ideas for commercial print, packaging and newspaper production and to demonstrate that we are the strong technology and market leader,” said Goss International President and CEO Jochen Meissner. “Of course, the proof of this success is in actual new projects. The contracts finalized at the show, the acceleration of projects in the pipeline, and initial discussions about new projects, particularly in packaging, were encouraging endorsements of our technology and our global team.”

The 11 web-offset orders received by Goss came from printers in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East; and ranged from wide-web Sunday presses to single-width newspaper presses. This included companies like Posigraf, one of the largest printers in Latin America, which invested in a Goss Sunday 3000.

“Stepping up to the wide, 2x8 format will give us far greater productivity and efficiency and it will expand the format and pagination options we can offer to our customers,” said Giem Guimaraes, owner of Posigraf, which currently operates standard four-pages-across commercial web presses.

Goss also noted the acquisition of a pair of M-600 presses by Hong Bo – the first Goss presses for the Chinese company. NEEF + STUMME of Germany, which currently operates four M-600 systems, also ordered another M-600 press.

Just two days after drupa ended, Goss also announced it is nearing the completion of a multiple-press reconfiguration project with Newsday Inc., to improve the publisher’s print quality while doubling colour capacity and press speeds. Work began on site in Melville in January 2012.

The enhanced press systems will go into production beginning in June at Newsday’s facility in Melville, New York. Goss will combine components from existing Goss Metro presses at the site to create three enhanced press systems with the capacity to print 96 tabloid pages, including 64 full-colour pages, at up to 60,000 impressions per hour.

The project includes the relocation of units and folders, modification of drive-lines, repositioning of motors, and installation of customized stacking frames and associated platforms. Goss will also add motorized registration capabilities to the presses and convert the web width of one press to 48 inches.

Newsday operates multiple press lines to print its flagship Newsday daily newspaper, which reaches nearly 1.4 million readers weekly on Long Island and in New York City, as well as other products.